The officials Fan Tai Tingjie and Nie Tai Tingyong have approved the report regarding the disturbances caused by the Yihequan at Songmen, Shandong. The situation has calmed down a bit, and we have gained an understanding of the situation.
The Yihequan initially practiced martial arts for self-defense, but if they take this opportunity to gather people and cause trouble, it goes against human decency and violates national law. Regardless of any animosity towards religion, it should be prohibited. Orders have already been issued for everyone to comply. The Yihequan at Songmen in Shandong has now been openly practicing martial arts and even attempted to fire foreign firearms, accidentally killing a comrade. This matter must be thoroughly investigated, strictly prohibited, and measures must be taken to disband them to prevent further disturbances.
As for stationing troops at Duqiao for winter defense and to protect the church, this plan seems reasonable. However, the request in the report to appoint senior officials and increase troop deployment for serious crackdown is too showy and could potentially lead to a major incident; it should not be implemented. You must handle this matter properly according to these instructions, strengthen prevention, and ensure peace for both the people and the church; this is the most important thing! Please take this seriously!
Dear Sir: I would like to take a moment to report on the progress of the Shandong boxing bandit incident. I have also attached the previous report. Your response noted that "this matter is significant and could likely escalate into a major incident, making it hard to manage as usual." I realize my suggestion may seem rash; it’s easier said than done. In desperation, I thought of a solution: to sincerely ask you to replace me immediately with a young, capable person so that the situation can be temporarily controlled. If he has a few months to handle things calmly, it could bring some stability. I’m not saying this for my own benefit, but for the sake of the public interest. Please allow me to explain: currently, the clergy and others have differing opinions on the matter. The clergy believes that the boxing bandits must be captured and punished, completely eradicated. But that’s simply not feasible. Even if we try our best to manage the situation, their resentment has already built up, and they’ll find ways to complicate things. As a result, the conflicts are becoming more obvious, and the problems are piling up; the more problems there are, the deeper the conflicts become. They’ll definitely accuse me of covering for them, inciting the consul to report to you, creating new troubles to control me. If they say I can’t protect the congregation and I’m ineffective, leading to my removal, it would calm the clergy down. A new official coming in would likely keep the clergy and congregation in line for a while, which is really important.
I have a weak character, having served here for eight years; the people have long seen through my facade, and they look down on me and act with impunity. Moreover, I have been suffering from a chronic illness for a long time, and moving around in winter is very difficult for me. I can't be out in the wind. For example, after I got off the car at Huanggu Village this time, I need someone to assist me in walking. I can’t even speak clearly when the wind blows. With my frail health, taking on such an important task could lead to serious consequences. I hesitate to ask for sick leave, fearing that it might be seen as shirking responsibility. In reality, it makes no difference whether my leave request is approved or not. If I am directly criticized for failing to protect the people and being ineffective in preventing issues, that might deter them. A new official could more easily take control of the situation, and the bandits might become more cautious and refrain from causing chaos. This is a crucial point.
The leader just called, instructing me to maintain order and protect everything to the best of my ability. Of course, I will do my best. But I am concerned that if things escalate, time is of the essence, and if it impacts the overall situation, it will be too late to remedy it. So I am compelled to report again and earnestly request the leader to assess the situation and provide directives.
Dear Respected Leaders: Regarding the situation regarding the Yihe Tuan disturbances in our province, I have already reported it in detail before. Later, I received your call and you asked me to discuss strategies with Wu Yingguan. However, I learned that Wu Yingguan's troops have all been sent out on patrol, and no one has come. If Wu Yingguan could come in person, it would truly be a blessing! My subordinate has managed to calm things down in Huangguzhuang, and for now, the situation remains relatively stable. However, the arrogance of the missionaries is becoming increasingly brazen. They said that the missionaries have called in foreign soldiers who will come here to fight with the Yihe Tuan immediately. If they win, they will preach, and if they lose, they will return to the West. Even though this is a scare tactic employed by outsiders to intimidate them, the members of the Yihe Tuan are even more angry after hearing it. Moreover, foreigners are known to keep their promises and act decisively; how can we not be concerned? I found that there are dozens of Yihe Tuan strongholds within our province, which are simply impossible to defend against. A few days ago, I included an emergency situation report with my submission to the Governor, hoping to be relieved of my duties, as this might temporarily calm the situation. Ah, there are two main reasons for this: first, I have some conflicts with those missionaries, who insist on arresting and punishing the Boxers. If I don’t comply with their demands, they will undoubtedly stir up trouble, escalating the issues day by day, and eventually causing a major case. I cannot bear this responsibility if it comes to that.
Secondly, I’ve always had this old problem of catching colds, and I dread the cold and wind in winter. I’ve already asked for leave from my superiors. Since the Fucheng incident on September 23rd, I haven’t slept at all; walking is a struggle, and I can hardly speak. On the morning of the 29th, I discussed this matter with the directors of Huang Guzhuang and caught another cold, fainting for a while before coming to. Now I can’t get out of bed, and I get startled by any noise; I can barely manage a few bowls of porridge a day. Given my current condition, dealing with such an urgent matter will surely cause delays. If someone young and strong could take my place, maybe we could turn things around. If I miss out on important matters due to illness, even if I were to die, it wouldn’t change a thing, and I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes even in death! Therefore, I can only be upfront with you. I have said enough; please do what you think is best.
To the Honorable Sir: I’ve reported this before regarding the situation of the unrest in Huang Guzhuang and Liu Bazhuang in our state. I’ve sent people to calm the folks in Huang Guzhuang, so there shouldn’t be any major issues for now. I’ve agreed to cover the damages to the churches in various places. However, the priest Ren Defen is still staying in Xian County and has not returned. I’ve sent people to meet with the authorities several times, but they not only refuse my compensation but keep sending me documents, trying to control me. In short, the longer I’m stuck here, the worse things get, and the church keeps getting craftier about dodging payment. I can’t directly call them out on their intentions right now, so I can only use soft words to keep them calm and just manage the situation for now.
The troops sent by the emperor received a letter from General Mei yesterday, saying that two armies will arrive soon. I estimate that more than a hundred churches and villages of believers in the province are affected, as well as dozens of strongholds of the Boxers, whose numbers reach into the tens of thousands. If the troops are dispersed for garrison duty, they may be outnumbered; if they are concentrated in the city, they may not be able to reach all areas. Even if there’s a chance to discuss, the officials in Wuying might not handle it flexibly. The more I think about it, the more worried I become; this matter is too difficult, and I feel completely at a loss. My abilities are limited, and these days I have been worried, angry, with rising phlegm, and my mind feels drained. Given my current health, taking on such a difficult task is hardly helpful to the overall situation. Yesterday, I received a letter from the labor office in Wuqiao County, which said, "If disaster strikes, even death won't redeem the guilt!" After hearing this, I can only pound my chest in frustration.
I earnestly request that you carefully consider the rampant Boxer rebellion and the situation of the foreign religion, as this matter is of great importance. Please coordinate the overall situation as soon as possible and provide strategic guidance so we have a clear plan to follow. I look forward to your instructions. I have organized the recent submissions from the foreign religion for your review. Also, the labor office in Wuqiao County sent me a book yesterday titled "Research on the Origin of the Boxer Religion." They want to unite seven counties to jointly petition you for an order to ban the cult and to send senior officials to lead three or four battalions to garrison the area under the jurisdiction of Hejian Prefecture to specifically handle this matter. I replied that a joint petition would take too long, so it would be faster for me to petition alone. I have provided an overview of the above situation.
